Attachment Theory

Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Background
John Bowlby observed orphaned infants after World
War II (1940s)
Concluded that early social attachment between an infant
and a caretaker is essential for normal social development
Determined that babies and mothers have an innate
tendency to form an attachment
Mary Ainsworth continued Bowlbys research
Proposed that infants attachment to a caregiver differs in
the degree of security in the attachment
Differences in security of attachment influence personality
and social relationships in infancy and beyond
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Attachment Theory
Infants need a secure base (i.e. are able to
trust) their primary caregiver
A Secure Attachment leads to subsequent healthy
development
An Insecure Attachment leads to unhealthy
development
Attachment style affects relationships
throughout life


Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Attachment Theory
Secure base: A responsive caregiver provides security
to explore the environment
If the caregivers responses to the childs needs are
appropriate, then the child will feel confident to explore a
strange environment, occasionally returning to the
caregiver for confirmation
If the caregivers responses to the child are inappropriate,
the child becomes insecure and are less likely to use the
caregiver as a base for exploring a strange environment
Caregiver
Typically the infants mother
May include others who respond to an infants needs
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Methodology
Strange Situation: Experimental task for infants
Infant, parent, and experimenter go into a laboratory room
Eight episodes of about three minutes apiece are used to
determine the security of the infants attachment to the parent
Secure Attachment: Explore environment with parent,
distressed when parent leaves, delighted when parent
returns
Insecure Attachment
Resistant: Clings to parent, cries when the parent leaves, angry
when returns
Avoidant: Not care if mother leaves and ignores the parent
upon return
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Strange Situation
Event Attachment Issue
1 Parent and baby enter playroom.
2 Parent sits quietly while baby plays. Parent as secure base for
exploration
3 Stranger enters and talks with parent. Babys response to new adult
4 Parent leaves the room. Baby is alone with
the stranger.
Babys response to separation
5 Parent returns. Stranger leaves. Babys response to reunion
6 Parent leaves. Baby alone in the room. Babys response to separation
7 Stranger enters and offers comfort. Babys ability to accept comfort
from a stranger
8 Parent returns and offers comfort if needed
and tries to get the baby to play.
Babys response to reunion
From Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, &Wall (1978)
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Attachment Styles
Securely Attached: Belief that the caregiver will protect and provide
for them
Explores the environment with the parent
Might protest separation from parent but smiles more often when the
parent is present
Shows pleasure at reunion with parent
65% of middle-class American infants
Insecure-Avoidant: Belief that the caregiver will not protect or
provide. The caregiver is not a safe haven in stressful circumstances
Does not protest at parents departure
Responds the same to the stranger and the parent, or more positively
to the stranger
Avoid parent upon return
20% of middle-class American infants
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Attachment Styles
Insecure-Resistant: Uncertainty about whether the parent
will protect or provide safety in stressful circumstances
Remain close to parent. Refuse to explore the new environment
Distressed at separation of parent
Mixture of approach and avoidance when reunited
10% of middle-class American infants
Disorganized or Disoriented: No consistent way of dealing
with the stress
Exhibits contradictory behavior at the strange situation
Typical attachment style when the infant is abused or neglected
Less than 5% of middle-class American infants
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Attachment Styles
Attachment depends on:
Caregivers sensitivity to the infants needs
Children are less likely to develop a secure attachment if
they are raised in an orphanage
Parents living in poverty tend to provide less sensitive
environments
Sensitivity to infants can be taught to mothers, that then
leads to a higher probability of secure attachment (Van den
Boom, 1994)
Family stress
Infants exposed to verbally aggressive fighting among their
parents form more insecure attachments
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Attachment Styles
Attachment depends on:
Parental psychopathology
Depressed mothers tend to have lower quality
interactions with their infants
Infants temperament
If an infant is irritable and the mother has no social
support, then the child is more likely to develop an
insecure attachment
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Stability of Attachment Styles
Securely attached infants in stable middle-
class American families tend to remain
securely attached through two years of age
Stressful life events may cause the attachment
style to change
Attachment styles are not as stable with
dysfunctional families
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Attachment Styles
Attachment Theory predicts that the quality of the
attachment predicts subsequent development
Longitudinal study found that securely attached infants were
more competent at age-appropriate tasks throughout
adolescence (Sroufe, Egeland, Carlson, & Collins, 2005)
An infants attachment style to a caregiver predicts:
Effective social functioning during childhood and adolescence
Sociability through early, middle, and late adulthood
Self-esteem
School grades
Teenage sexual activity
Quality of attachment to their own children
Attitudes toward their own children
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Cultural Variations in Attachment
Styles
The same four types of attachments have
been found in various cultures, but the
proportion of children in each category differ
by culture
Avoidant attachments are rare in cultures where
the child is seldom apart from the mother
Little research examines the causes and
effects of secure attachments in non-Western
cultures
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Adult Attachment Styles
1. I am afraid that I will lose my partners love.
2. I often worry that my partner will not want to stay
with me.
3. I often worry that my partner doesnt really love me.
4. I worry that romantic partners wont care about me
as much as I care about them.
5. I often wish that my partners feelings for me were
as strong as my feelings for him or her.
6. I worry a lot about my relationships.
7. When my partner is out of sight, I worry that he or
she might become interested in someone else.
Adult Attachment Styles
1. I prefer not to show a partner how I feel deep down.
2. I feel comfortable sharing my private thoughts and
feelings with my partner. (R)
3. I find it difficult to allow myself to depend on romantic
partners.
4. I am very comfortable being close to romantic partners.
(R)
5. I do not feel comfortable opening up to romantic
partners.
6. I prefer not to be too close to romantic partners.
7. I get uncomfortable when a romantic partner wants to
be very close.
Comparing Developmental Theories
Active/Passive Nature/Nurture Stage/Continuous
Piaget Active Both Stage
Information Processing Active Both Both
Sociocultural Active Both Continuous
Neo-Piagetians Active Both Stage
Social Learning Both Nurture Continuous
Psychosocial Passive Both Stage
Attachment Passive Nurture Stage
Ecological Systems
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Critique of Attachment Theory
Strengths
Explains development in social relationships
Enables predictions about subsequent social
relationships
Provides information about specific interventions that
can improve social functioning
Weaknesses
Only comparative cross-cultural research has been
conducted
Does not well predict behavior in cultures where
children have more than one primary caregiver
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Implications of Attachment Theory for
Education
Parents need to be sensitive to their infants
needs.
Parents need to provide a stable home
environment for their children
If children are not functioning well in school,
the first problem to investigate is their home
life.
Any caring, stable adult can provide a secure
attachment for a needy child
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Revision
Describe the Strange Situation.
What does Attachment Theory predict?
What evidence has been gathered to support this
hypothesis?
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos